


Clean

by droideka



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Dirty Talk, F/F, Femslash February, Oral Sex, Smut, Strap-Ons, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 06:18:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9707318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/droideka/pseuds/droideka
Summary: It’s Valentine’s Day, and after months of separation Shepard and Tali are eager to make up for lost time.





	

“C’mon Tali, close your eyes. This is supposed to be a surprise.”

“It’s not much of a surprise, Shepard. We’ve been planning this weekend for a month.”

When Shepard’s request for leave was approved, she immediately made a reservation at a nice little hotel in the Wards – one that still maintained clean rooms for quarian guests. Tali nearly depleted her small stockpile of immunoboosters in preparation, and had even dipped into the more questionable supplements acquired over the extranet.

The _Normandy_ had barely settled into dry dock when the two of them all but bolted for the nearest air car. Tali fidgeted restlessly while Shepard traded niceties at the hotel’s front desk, and jabbed impatiently at the elevator’s controls on their way up. Now she was leading Shepard by the hand down the hallway, setting a breathless pace to their room.

This weekend was a special one, and Tali didn’t intend to waste a moment of it.

“But it’s _Valentine’s Day,_ ” Shepard protested. She pulled on Tali’s hand, and they both came to a stop in the middle of the hallway. Shepard caught Tali’s other hand and drew her close. There was a smile on her lips and affection in her dark, angular eyes. “Just humor me.”

Tali’s bright eyes narrowed. Her impatience must have been obvious, because Shepard let out a laugh.

“It’s like ten meters, Tali. Please.”

“… Fine.” Tali closed her eyes.

Shepard dropped Tali’s hands to take a hold of her shoulders, turning her around and guiding her down the hallway.

“Tali?” Shepard spoke in a low voice, close to her ear.

“Hm?”

“Do you trust me?”

“What?” Tali was taken aback for a moment, then she shook her head. “Shepard, of course I trust you. Would I have dropped everything to follow you into certain death – not once, not twice, but _three_ separate times – if I didn’t trust you?”

“Then stop flailing your arms around. I’m not gonna throw you down the stairs.”

They stopped, and Shepard’s hand left Tali’s shoulders. Tali could hear Shepard tapping at a keypad, and then the pneumatic hiss of a door opening. They walked together into the room. Tali heard the door close behind them, and then the dull _thud_ of Shepard’s duffle bag hitting the floor.

“Okay. You can open your eyes.”

A dozen candles filled the room with warm, shifting light. Flowers covered every surface, their blossoms overflowing from their containers and their petals spread across the white linens of the bed.  A bottle of champagne and two fluted glasses waited on the table, along with a wrapped box of dextro chocolates.

It was all so lovely. Tali almost didn’t want to disturb it.

Almost.

“I thought I’d do something classic for your first Valentine’s Day. How’d I do?”

Tali’s thoughts were still lingering on the fresh linens. She thought about the crisp sheets, and how they would feel twisted between her bare legs. She thought about the flower petals, and how lovely they would look scattered on the floor.

“It’s beautiful,” she managed.

“There’s one more thing.” Shepard squeezed her shoulders and led her to the bathroom.

The bathroom was all gleaming tile and polished metal, flashing in the light of the candles. There was a filled bathtub set against the far wall, and the water cast rippling reflections up the wall and across the ceiling.

“A bath!” Tali exclaimed.

Bathing was something of a luxury among quarians. Water was strictly rationed in the Flotilla, reserved primarily for drinking and hydroponics. And even aboard the sterile ships of the Fleet, removing one’s suit was always a risk. Hygiene was more like suit maintenance than anything else – a slow, tedious process of removing the suit piece by piece and washing with antimicrobial wipes.

Long ago, quarians had bathed naked in the rivers of their homeworld. Tali had always wondered what that would be like.

“They told me the whole suite was clean.” Shepard pressed a kiss to Tali’s shoulder. “I thought we could test that.”

“And how am I going to be compensated for this science experiment of yours?” Tali teased.

Shepard was unfazed. She spoke quietly into her ear. “I can think of a few things.”

Shepard’s touch was light, her fingers spreading over her shoulders and down her back. Tali’s harness fell forward on her arms as the buckles came undone beneath Shepard’s fingers, sliding over her rounded shoulders and onto the floor. Shepard’s hands smoothed over her hips and down her thighs to unravel her veils, running up her sides to help slide the fabric off her shoulders.

The feel of Shepard’s hands on her body was enough to make Tali flush beneath her suit.

Tali fumbled with the environmental seals of her helmet, the display on her faceplate going dark as the seals disengaged. The warm, humid heat of the air pressed against her bare face as she removed her helmet. She breathed deeply, and the cloying scent of roses filled her nose. She felt Shepard’s hand cup her cheek, turning her face gently to the side.

“I’ll never get used to seeing you like this.” Shepard smiled at her fondly. She brushed her thumb across her cheek.  “You’re so beautiful, Tali.”

Tali felt a blush of lavender spread under Shepard’s hand. “I bet you say that to all the quarian girls.”

“Maybe. But this time I really mean it,” Shepard teased.

Shepard’s hand slipped from her face. Then her fingers found the closure at the nape of Tali’s neck, and her envirosuit split down her back to expose a sliver of pale skin. Shepard slid her fingers into the seam, guiding the suit off Tali’s shoulders as her lips brushed over the dark ridges that fanned out from her spine. The sensation crackled over her skin like electricity, making her shiver with pleasure.

There were ways to get around the suit problem, and in their time together Tali and Shepard had found some solutions. There were toys that made Shepard’s body shake, and stim programs that made Tali’s nerves sing. But everything was an approximation, an imitation. Nothing could compare to the ecstasy of their touch. Tali had committed to memory the feeling of rough hands and soft lips on her skin, of smooth curves and hard lines against her body.

The suit was hanging from her narrow waist when Tali turned in Shepard’s arms to kiss her. Quarians had little in the way of lips, but kissing was something Tali took to immediately. Her arms came up around Shepard’s shoulders, and Shepard’s hands found her waist as they kissed. Shepard nudged Tali backward until her legs pressed into the side of the tub and she could feel the heat of the water rising up her back. Tali gasped softly as Shepard broke the kiss to press her lips to her neck, her collar, between her breasts. Shepard hooked her thumbs under the envirosuit and rolled it down past Tali’s wide hips. Tali sat on the edge of the tub as Shepard removed Tali’s boots and pulled the suit off her legs, leaving her naked.

Shepard sat up on her knees to kiss her, and Tali met her with urgency. She spread her hand through Shepard’s dark hair – the buzzed sides tickling her palm and the short, thick locks at her crown parting around her fingers. Tali couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped her as Shepard smoothed her hands up her bare thighs. Shepard must have noticed her impatience, because Tali could feel her spreading grin against her lips. Suddenly, Shepard slipped out of the kiss and out of her grasp. “Get in,” she said as she turned away from the tub. “The water’s gonna get cold.”

Tali let out a frustrated huff, but Shepard either didn’t notice or didn’t respond. Reluctantly, Tali did as she was told and swung her legs over the side of the tub. She recoiled from the water at first, unused to the feeling of direct heat on her sensitive skin. She dipped her toes slowly into the water, allowing time for her body to adjust before going in further. She sighed softly as she slipped into the water, the heat spreading across her skin. She sat for a moment, basking in the warmth of the water, before she turned in the tub to fix her bright gaze on Shepard.

Shepard had her back to Tali, sliding her jeans down her muscular thighs. Tali reveled in the sight as she bent over to pull her pants down past her ankles. Shepard straightened to pull her shirt over her head, making the muscles of her back ripple beneath her light brown skin. Over her shoulder, Shepard caught sight of Tali watching her, her chin resting on her folded arms.

“You looking for a show, Tali’Zorah?” Shepard flexed a powerful arm, curling her fingers into a fist.

Tali knew the intensity of Shepard’s training. Shepard spent hours running, lifting weights, and sparring with anyone foolish enough to accept her offer. Not out of necessity, Tali learned, but out of a desire to push her own limits. Shepard took pleasure in shaping her body, honing her skills, making herself into a weapon of war. Tali had seen Shepard tear limbs off mechs, throw biotically accelerated fists through their chasses. It stood out in contrast against the tender way that Shepard stroked her skin with her fingers, cupped her face in her hand, and held her in her arms.

Calling it a turn on was probably an understatement.

Tali crooked a finger to beckon her closer.

Shepard’s bare feet were silent on the tiled floor as she crossed the room to the tub, pulling her sports bra up over her head and sliding her briefs down her legs. Tali made no attempt to hide her desire, letting her bright eyes flicker over Shepard’s muscled abdomen, bare breasts, and her smirking lips.

Shepard’s arms flexed as she braced against the tub, lowering herself slowly into the water. She moaned as the water crept up to her breasts, and the sound sent a wave of heat through Tali’s body. Shepard let her dark eyes close as she settled into the water, her arms draped across the rim of the tub.

“You do this every day?” Tali asked, incredulous.

“Bathing?” Shepard smiled, her eyes still closed. “Not always. And this is kinda a special occasion.”

“You do this every year?”

“Sure. Well, not every year. For me it’s mostly been a self-loving kinda holiday.”

“Really? You?” Tali couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice. It wasn’t like Shepard was known for her promiscuity (despite the claims of a certain disreputable nude mag), but she had always been open about her past experiences. Tali couldn’t really say for sure whether it was a lot, but anything compared to nothing sure did _seem_ like a lot.  

When Shepard laughed it made the water lap against her breasts, her brown nipples brushing over the surface of the water. _Keelah,_ if ever there was a reason to make her laugh...

“I dunno what to tell you, Tali. I was either alone or on deployment most Valentines.”

“You never celebrated with someone?”

“Define celebrate.”

“You never spent the day with someone special?”

“If you’re asking if I ever fucked someone on Valentine’s Day, then the answer is yes.”

Tali couldn’t help the lavender flush that spread across her chest at that.

“If you’re asking if I ever was involved with someone on Valentine’s Day,” Shepard continued, “the answer is also yes.” Her brow furrowed. “It just... it just never felt all that special, y’know?”

Shepard opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Tali. Her smile softened the hard edges of her angular eyes. “But now I’m with you, and it feels all kinds of special.”

Tali’s flush deepened from lavender to violet.

“Now,” Shepard said with authority, “I wanna show you what’s so great about real water baths.”

Shepard reached outside of the tub to grab a soft looking washcloth. She dipped it in the water, and then rolled a bar of soap inside it until the suds crept up her hands.

“Mmm.” Tali extended a leg, letting her ankle drop into Shepard’s waiting hands. “I can see the appeal.”

Shepard massaged Tali’s foot through the washcloth, rolling her thumbs along the underside and squeezing both of her toes in turn. She worked the washcloth around her ankle and up her calf, and Tali giggled as she washed behind her knee.

It was almost overwhelming, the feeling of the soft cloth on her bare skin. But Shepard’s touch was light, and Tali felt herself relaxing under her gentle attentions.

Tali pulled her leg out of Shepard’s hands and replaced it with the other. “Next.”

Shepard flashed a grin at Tali as she pressed a kiss to her toes. She washed her other leg as before, rubbing her foot and lathering her calf up to the knee. Her hand slid under the water line as she smoothed the washcloth up Tali’s thigh, all the way up to her hip before coming back down again.

“You know,” Tali’s tongue darted out to wet her lips, “there’s a spot on my back I can never quite reach. Maybe you could…” Tali trailed off as Shepard caught her hand and pulled her across the tub to settle her in her lap, her back to Shepard’s front.

The soapy washcloth followed the curve of her spine and traced over the purple ridges on her back. Shepard’s fingertips brushed over Tali’s arm as she extended it with her hand, running the washcloth over her shoulder and down the length of one arm and then the other. Shepard’s arm snaked around her middle, pulling her close, as the washcloth spread suds over Tali’s collar and down her chest. Tali couldn’t hold onto the little gasp that escaped her as Shepard palmed her breast through the washcloth, kneading and rolling the soft flesh with her fingers.

The washcloth dipped into the water as it smoothed down Tali’s front, over her hip, and down her flank. It drifted from Shepard’s hand, discarded, as her fingertips dragged up the inside of Tali’s thigh.

Shepard’s breath was hot through her parted lips, ghosting over Tali’s pale skin as her mouth found her neck. Her lips teased at her sensitive skin, and Tali raked her lower lip with her small blunted teeth, biting down a moan. She could already feel the heat pooling in her lap, lighting up her nerves with want.

“Shepard,” Tali’s voice was breathless, entreating.

Shepard hummed in acknowledgement, following the lines of her throat with her tongue.

“Shepard, please.”

Shepard’s fingers parted her folds, sliding easily into the slickness between her thighs.  Tali couldn’t quiet the high, breathy moan that escaped her. “Please,” she whispered.

Shepard’s voice was low in her ear. “Tell me.”

“Shepard, I –” Tali let out a small cry as the pad of Shepard’s finger passed over her clit.

Her other hand came up to hold Tali’s rounded chin, turning her face to meet Shepard’s gaze. Shepard’s eyes were bright beneath her heavy lids. “Tell me,” she repeated.

“I want you.” The words ignited the breath in her lungs, spread fire all the way down. “Oh, _keelah_ , Shepard. I want you. I want you. I want –”

Shepard silenced her with a kiss, and Tali could feel the satisfied smile on her lips.

Tali’s lips parted at the insistence of Shepard’s tongue, and she slipped into her mouth. Her breath caught in her throat as Shepard’s fingers pressed against her clit, moving in small circles. Shepard’s other hand released her chin to smooth down Tali’s neck and cup her breast, running her thumb across her sensitive nipple.

Each sensation – Shepard’s hand on her breast, her mouth on hers, her hand between her legs – had been overwhelming on its own. Together, it was pushing her beyond the limits of what Tali could endure. She could feel her orgasm building, her back arching and her hips rocking to meet the hand between her thighs.

Shepard slipped out of the kiss, leaving Tali to pant against her face. “Are you gonna come, Tali?” she asked softly.

Tali didn’t immediately answer, and Shepard stopped every motion. “Tell me,” she said.

Tali sucked in a breath through her teeth, let it out in an answer. “Yes.”

Tali had expected Shepard to resume her attentions, push her farther until she lost herself in the sensations of her. Instead, Shepard withdrew her hands from her clit and breast to run them over her shoulders and down her arms. Tali couldn’t help but whimper in protest.

“Do you trust me, Tali?” Shepard asked.

“Of course I trust you,” Tali answered.

“Then trust me now.” Shepard’s hand found her face again, stroking her cheek with her thumb. “I wanna make this special. I wanna make this last.” She kissed her lightly. “You just have to let me.”

For a hot second Tali considered refusing. Months of separation followed by weeks of anticipation had stretched Tali’s restraint to its limit. She spent so many nights alone – her nerves buzzing, her limbs shaking in her bunk, her helmet’s mic muted to hide her cries – lost in the fantasy of Shepard taking her over and over and over again. Taking her as if they had infinite time, taking her as if they had no one else but each other.

When they were apart, the longing Tali felt was a physical ache. When they were together, that longing couldn’t be satisfied by the brief moments they shared – lingering gazes across the CIC, fleeting touches in the armory, quiet words in the hallways. Tali couldn’t help but feel like this was just another stolen moment, and she didn’t know when it would be taken away from them.

Shepard was still waiting for an answer, searching Tali’s face with her dark eyes.  Tali lay her hand over Shepard’s, pressing her cheek into her palm. “I trust you.”

Tali caught a flash of Shepard’s smile before she kissed her again, deeply this time. Shepard’s eyes found hers as they slipped apart, and the intensity of Shepard’s gaze spread heat through her chest.  Shepard spoke in a low voice. “Get up.”

Despite her confusion, Tali did as she was told. She stood up in the water, and Shepard’s hands found her hips to guide her into a sitting position on the rim of the tub. Shepard parted Tali’s knees with her hands and settled herself between her legs.

The air was cool on Tali’s wet skin, but the way that Shepard pressed her lips to the inside of her thigh made her flush. Shepard smoothed her hands up Tali’s legs as she kissed up the inside of her thigh, from her knee up to the junction at her hip. Tali could feel Shepard’s breath on her as she passed over to kiss down the other thigh. She leaned forward to kiss to her navel, and Tali shuddered as Shepard’s tongue traced along the inner edge.

Shepard drew a line with her tongue from Tali’s navel down to her mound – bare, compared to the thick, dark hair that covered Shepard’s. Shepard lifted her eyes to meet Tali’s, dark to her bright.

“Do you want my mouth on you, Tali?” Shepard asked.

“Yes,” Tali answered. The breathless anticipation Tali felt must have shown on her face, because another smile flickered across Shepard’s face.

“Tell me,” she said.

“I –” Tali licked her lips. “I want your mouth on me.”

Shepard hummed, pleased by her answer. She slipped down the smooth skin of Tali’s mound to press her mouth into her folds, making Tali suck in a breath. Tali’s grip on the edge of the tub tightened as Shepard kissed her entrance. She felt her lips part, and Shepard’s tongue slide out to taste her.

“I fucking love the way you taste.” Shepard kissed her again, and Tali could feel the smile on her lips. “I could go down on you for hours.” Then she dragged her tongue up the whole of her in a broad upward stroke. Tali moaned. “And I fucking love the sounds you make when I do it just right.”

Tali struggled to form words from the sounds she was making as Shepard settled into her task. Pressing her mouth against her entrance, taking her folds between her lips, and – oh, _keelah_ – running her tongue across her clit. Never staying long enough to let Tali’s orgasm build. Occasionally stealing glances up at Tali’s face, every time resuming her attentions with a smile.

Shepard removed one of her hands from Tali’s thigh. She pressed her finger against Tali’s entrance, and Tali gave a little cry of pleasure when she gave way beneath her touch. Tali’s hands grabbed fistfuls of Shepard’s dark hair as she began to move inside her, stroking the inside of her with her finger. Shepard reoriented to press her tongue to her clit, working her with her mouth until Tali’s orgasm began to climb.

But just as Tali was reaching the edge, Shepard’s pace slowed and then stopped. Shepard sat back on her heels, dragging the back of her hand across her mouth. Tali’s hands slipped out of Shepard’s hair to rest on her knees, and Tali had to fight the urge to use them to finish herself right then.

Shepard must have sensed her inner conflict. “I’m not done with you, yet.”

Shepard sat up on her knees to kiss Tali, and she could taste herself on her tongue. Tali wound her arms around Shepard’s shoulders as the kiss deepened, smoothing a hand up through the short hair on the back of her head. Shepard’s hands slid under Tali’s thighs to pull her close, and Tali crossed her ankles behind her back and Shepard stood to carry her from the bathroom into the bedroom.

Tali sank into the soft linens of the bed, pressed down into the mattress by Shepard’s kiss.

Shepard’s lips left hers. “Stay here,” she said quietly.

Tali felt the mattress shift as Shepard left, and she could hear her footsteps on the carpet as she crossed the room. Tali pressed her palm to her forehead, her fingers spread against her bare scalp. She tried to quiet her heavy breathing, and tried to cool the heat between her legs.

Tali heard something hit the bed beside her. When she sat up on her elbows to investigate, she was met with the sight of Shepard moving toward her on the bed, securing the smooth jet black dildo strapped between her hips. Tali felt every ounce of calm leave her body, her heart pounding in her chest and her breath catching in her throat.

The thing that Shepard had tossed onto the bed turned out to be a bottle of lube, which Shepard was now using to liberally coat the strap-on. The corner of Shepard’s mouth lifted into a smile as she came closer.

“Do you want my cock, Tali?” she asked.

“Yes,” Tali managed.

“Tell me.”

Tali swallowed hard. “I – I want your cock.”

Shepard spread Tali’s legs with her hips and held her weight above her on one arm, using her other hand to slide down Tali’s belly and between her legs. She slid her fingers up and down through her folds, and they came away slick. “You’re so fucking wet... My cock’s gonna feel so good in you,” she said.

Tali couldn’t answer. All of her attention was focused on the sight of the strap-on pressing into her, and the sensation of her body giving way against it. She let her head fall back on her shoulders and moaned as Shepard nudged herself in, and sank back into the bed as Shepard lay down on top of her, holding her weight on her elbows.

Shepard lowered her head to whisper in Tali’s ear. “I love fucking you. I could fuck you every night.”

Shepard rolled her hips against Tali’s, pushing deeper into her with each long, slow stroke. Shepard lifted her head to kiss Tali, deeply. Tali moaned into her mouth as the rolling of Shepard’s hips turned to rhythmic thrusts. Tali’s legs climbed around Shepard’s waist, urging her faster, as her arms slid up Shepard’s back and her hands found purchase on her shoulders. Tali broke the kiss to pant against Shepard’s face – high, breathy moans interrupting her ragged breathing.

Tali’s moans and cries began to increase in frequency as she felt her orgasm rising. Shepard noticed.

“Are you gonna come, Tali?” she asked.

“Shepard,” she breathed.

“Do you wanna come, Tali?”

“Shepard, please.”

Shepard slowed her pace. Tali knew the command was coming, but she wanted to hear it anyway. “Tell me,” she said.

“I want to come,” she answered.

Shepard lifted herself up on her arms. Shepard’s dark eyes found hers, and Tali found herself unable to look away. “Again.”

“I want to come,” she repeated. “Please.”

Tali saw a flash of Shepard’s smile before she kissed her, pressing their bodies into the bed as Shepard fucked her to her climax. The grip of Tali’s hands on Shepard’s shoulders and her legs around her waist tightened, and Tali moaned helplessly into Shepard’s mouth. Shepard broke the kiss and drew away from her, watching her face with her dark eyes as Tali finally came.

Tali let out a high cry as her orgasm burned through her, lighting up her nerves with pleasure. She shuddered beneath Shepard as each wave passed through her body, radiating outward all the way down to her fingers and toes.

As the last waves of her orgasm began to ebb away, Tali felt Shepard’s pace slow and then stop. Shepard kissed her cheek, and cupped her face in her rough palm. Tali came down slowly, riding Shepard’s soft touches back down from the apex of her orgasm. They lay quietly for a moment, taking one last moment to savor the feeling of Shepard inside her. Then Shepard lifted herself up on her arms and withdrew from her, turning over to rest at her side.

When Tali opened her eyes, she could see Shepard lying on her side, watching her. She was smiling at her fondly.

“Worth the wait?” Shepard asked.

“Totally worth it,” Tali answered.

Tali reached out to take a hold of Shepard’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I’m starting to wonder why Valentine’s Day only happens once a year.”

Shepard grinned. “You liking it so far, Tali’Zorah?”

“It’s one of your better holidays.”

“And we haven’t even gotten to the chocolate.”

Tali laughed, and the sound made Shepard’s smile widen. She pulled her closer, close enough for their foreheads to touch.

“… I almost don’t want this to end,” Tali said, quietly.

It was there for just a moment, but Tali could see the sorrow pass over Shepard’s face. Tali leaned forward to press a kiss to Shepard’s lips, and when she drew away she was smiling again.

“Yeah. I know. But this time is for us, and only us,” Shepard said. Then she kissed her again, longer and deeper. When they parted, Shepard’s smile had turned into a grin. “And I promise, I’m gonna make every second count.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Femslash February! Feel free to send me prompts at my tumblr: [**lesbiantalizorahs.tumblr.com**](http://lesbiantalizorahs.tumblr.com)


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